November began with a successful Soul-Winning & Leadership Conference held in Ibadan. I was thankful to have Missionary Evangelist Denton Bell with me. Just a week later, I was again in Nigeria’s second-largest city to welcome a fellow board member of Christian Media International, along with a pastor friend of his. These two men came and saw our media studio, introduced a pastor from Malawi to the potential for getting the Gospel out on television and social media, and explored ideas on how to plant more sustainable churches. Evangelist Tunde Ajayi joined me to help host the men in both Ibadan and Abuja; we had a wonderful time “showing off” our ministries and brainstorming on how to increase our effectiveness.
November was full of highlights for Truth Baptist Church. Besides having the CMI visitors as guest preachers, our missionary and staff wives successfully hosted a two-day Ladies’ Spectacular. Then on the 24th, we experienced the biggest Sunday ever in our ministry. TBC’s pastors, staff members, missionaries, deacons, and other faithful men partnered with our seminary students to conduct 18 outreach services in areas where we have Bible Clubs, bus routes, and house fellowships. In all, 882 attended, and 55 were saved! The evening service was a victory celebration filled with encouraging testimonies.
My family had some memorable times together after (and in the midst of) the busy season of ministry. Our Thanksgiving included a five-hour drive to Jos, fellowship with other missionaries, and a stay at the Youngs’ home in their new place of service. Graham and Olivia served with us for nearly two years and are now focused on learning a language and planting a new work in Plateau State. December included more chances to have missionary fellowships, a cantata and Christmas service at Truth, and a family tradition of a hotel stay around New Year’s Eve. The climax, though, was an unforgettable two-week trip to Tanzania.
The Holmes family has now been a part of conducting a Student Missions Institute for Training in Evangelism (in the U.S., it is “Summer Missionary…”) in six countries. During the first week of December, the Christiansens joined us to board two flights, a taxi van, and a train to work with fellow FBMI missionaries, the Wyatts and the Morrows, along with their great families, excellent staff, and spirited teens, to host the first-ever S.M.I.T.E. in Morogoro. After some meetings and training on Saturday and enriching services with a joyful Christmas fellowship on Sunday, the S.M.I.T.E. was held, with more than 50 people involved, 523 children enrolled in 5-day clubs, and 212 saved! The next week, 2 adventurous nights at a safari camp were enjoyed by our family and the Christiansens. At almost the same time, our Nigerian staff was laboring for the 4th S.M.I.T.E. and first graduation in Kenya. They had nearly the same results, with 50 campers for 10 clubs, over 500 enrolled, and more than 200 saved.
Believing God,
Mark Holmes
http://vimeo.com/missionaryholmes has a video on Tanzania S.M.I.T.E.
Written 3 January 2025; WhatsApp +1.228.209.4625
